Keyless lock for traveling-bags, &amp;c.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

' J. KRUSE.

KBYLBss LOCK PoR TRAVBLING BAGS, aw.

A'PPLIoATI'oN HLED JULY 5. 1907.

.5 Q9 4 KZ 9 f 1 t .2 d if@ w/ f,

jf @M 1HE Nonni: Pinks ca.. wAsHmaroN. n. c.

JOHN KRUSE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

KEYLESS LOCK FOR TRAVELING-BAGS, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28,1908.

Application filed July 5, 1907. Serial No. 382,341.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.'`

Be it known that I, JOHN KRUsE, a citizen of theUnited States, andresident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Keyless Locks for Traveling-Bags and the Like, of whichAthe following is a specification, containing a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to keyless locks for traveling bags, and the like,the object of my invention being to construct a simple, inex pensivelock for traveling-bags, valises, hand satchels, and the like, and whichlock is prof vided with mechanism operated from the exterior of the lockhousing for setting and releasing the locking bolts on the interior ofthehousing. f

To the above pur oses, my invention consistsin certain novel)features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter morefully set forth, ointed out in the claims, and illustrated in t ieaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lockof my-improvedconstruction arranged on the frame of avalise or travelingbag Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 2- 2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2Fig. 4 Ais a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is adetail elevation of a releasing lever I make use of in `carr in@ out minvention- Fie'. 7 is a erspective view of. an adjustable stop I makepsc of for changing the combination of the ock.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings -1 designates thelock housing, which is preferably of rectangular form, and of such widthas to readily fit upon top of the u per one of the frames 2 of thesatchel or trave ing bag. Formed integral with the ends of the housing 1are plates 3, which are rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to theupper frame 2', and in the centers of which p ates are formed transverseloops 4, to which are adapted to be secured rings carried by the ends ofthe handle of the bag or valise. Detachably arranged in the bottom ofthe housing, and lying immediately on top of the upper one of the frames2, is aplate 5, which carries the greater Vortion of the operatingmechanism of the ock, and formed on or lixed' to said plate andextending' upward 1"" therefrom to the top of the housing 1', isa seriesof lates 6, between the inner two of which is formedA a narrow opening7, which which latter is carried by the lowerone of the frames 2of thebag or valise. An opening 10 is formed in the front side of'thehousing1, directlyo posite the openingi'?, thus permitting the ooks 8 to passinto and outof said housing. i

A pair of locking bars 11 are arranged to move lengthwise throughsuitably' formed openings in the plates 6, one of s'aid barsbereceivesthe hooks 8 carried by a plate 9, and

ing arranged immediately ontop of the other; and formed in the topofthev upper bar is a notch 12, and a corresponding notch 12 is formed inthe under sideo'f thellower bar.

Formed on the front'faces of v"bthl75 bars isa series of teeth'13, andthe outer' ends i ofsaid bars are bent rearwardl ,as 'desi nated by 14,and which rearward y bent en sl carry horizontally disposed pins 15, Aonwhich are arranged expansive'coiled springs 16, the inner ends of whichare ylocated-m tubular housings 17, fixed between thevpairs of lates 6.`

ranged for rotation' in the end'wallsof the housing 1, directlyVopposite Vthe rearwardly bent ends 14 ofthe bars 11, are" short pins 18,on the inner ends ofwhich are'heads 19, each of which is provided withIa seriesV of offset faces 20, against which'the' rearwardly bent endsA14 are adaptedto engagewlie'n the bars 11 are moved outward to theirlimit of movement by the expansive action of the coiled springs 16.Fixed on the outer ends of the pins 18 are lingers 21, which Vareadapted toV register with indicatingmarks 22,

formed on the ends 'of the housing 1, thus forming guides to show whichone' of the-'faces 20 is directly opposite y'the rearwardly`- bent end14 of the corresponding bar 11. A

Fixed to the plate 5, ladjacent 'thefront edge and 'ends thereof, arethe @upright brackets 23, and secured to the upper endlof each of saidbrackets is a pairiofy springs 24 and 25, and the free ends'of whichlatter pair are in constant engagement'vwith the' teeth 13 formed on thelocking bars 11', thus acting as pawls to normally hold said lockingbars against reverse movement. The free ends of the springs 24 normallylie just in front of the teeth 13, and are adapted tobe moved intoengagement With saidteeth by the free ends of said plates26,Which'are-ixed'to the@ front wail of the housing 1; and said free endscarry the buttons 27, which project through suitable openings formedthrough the front wall of said housing` -Pins 28 have their ends seatedin the front and rear walls of the housing 1, and journaled on said pinare bell crank levers 29, the lower ends of the horizontal arms of whichnormally occupy positions immediately to the Vrear of the free ends ofthe springs 25, and formed integral with the outer ends `of thehorizontal arms of said levers are forwardly projecting arms 30, whichextend through vertically disposed slots 31 formed through the frontwail of the housing l; and located on said forwardly projecting arms,outside the housing, are buttons 32.

When a traveling bag orvalise equipped with my improved lock is to beclosed and locked, the hooks 8, carried by the plate 9,

pass through the opening 10 in the front of thehousing, and the rearends of said hooks passthrough the notches 12 in the lock bars `11,which notches have been brought into vertical alinement with oneanother; and said lock bars are now released by engaging the buttons 32and .moving the same downward, thus actuating the bell crank levers 29and moving the free ends of the springs 25 away from the teeth 13. Theexpansive action of the coiled spring 15 moves the lock bars 11 outwardto their limit of movement, thus moving the notches 12 out of verticalalinement, and bringing the wider portions of the locking bars againstthe inwardly bent ends of the hooks 8.

` Assuming that the combination necessary to release the lock is l107and 6, the owner of the bag, or valise, or proper person havingknowledge of the combination, places the thumb or iinger on the righthand one of the buttons 27, and presses upon the same ten times insuccession; and with each inward movement of the button, the free end ofthe corresponding spring plate 26 bears upon the corresponding spring24, forcing the free end thereof into engagement between the teeth ofthe lower one of the locking bars 11; and, as a result, said lockingbaris moved the distanceof one tooth toward the left hand; and,afterhaving been moved this distance, the free end of the spring 25catches between the teeth 13 on saidv bar and prevents its reversemovement. At the completion of the tenth movement upon the right handbutton 27, the notch 12 in the lower locking bar 11 is brought intoposition within the opening 7, and directly -in front of the lower oneof the hooks 8; and,

to completev the combination, the operator now presses the left handbutton 27 six times in succession; and, as a result, the upper one ofthe locking bars 11 is moved toward the. right hand, and the notch 12 insaid upper bar'is brought into vertical alinement with the correspondingnotch in the lower bar. Both notches now coincide with the inwardly bentend of the hooks 8, and the lower member 2 of the frame which carriesthe plate 9 and hooks 8 is now free to be swung open.

l/Vhen the bag or valise is closed and it is desired to lock the same,the operator engages the buttons 32, moving the same downward, whichaction swings the bell crank le` vers 29 upon the pins 28, and thelowerends of the vertical arms of said bell cranks engage the free ends ofthe .springs 25, throwing them out of engagement with the teeth 13 onthe locking bars, thus permitting the coiled springs 16 to act and throwsaid locking bars outward to their limit of movement, or until therearwardly bent ends 14 engage against the lowermost faces 2() on theheads 19.

To change the combination, or to confuse the attempts of unauthorizedpersons to open the lock, the heads 19 can be rotated so as to bringeach of the 3higher faces 2O into position directly opposite therearwardly bent ends 14 of the locking bars 11, and thus the originalcombination is destroyed, owing to the fact that the locking bars areprevented by the higher faces from moving to their outer limit ofmovement; and thus the succeeding time said locking bars are movedtoward one another to bring the notches 12 into vertical alinement, itwill not benecessary to press the buttons 27 the same number of timesthat is required when the heads 19 are correctly positioned.

The owner of the bag or valise, or authorized person, shifts the fingers21 in either direction to bring a pair of the higher faces 20 oppositethe rearwardly bent ends 14 prior to the time the buttons 32 are engagedto release the locking bars, and thus said locking bars do not moveoutward to their limit of movement; so that even if an unauthorizedperson have knowledge of the combination, the lock would not open whensaid combina# tion was carried out, as the locking bars'11 would bemoved to such distances as that the notches 12 would be carried past oneanother; and the combination cannot be successfully worked unless theheads 19 are turned to such positions as to allow the rearwardly'bentends 14 of the locking bars to bear against the lowermost pair of faceson the heads 19.

A lock of my im roved construction is simple, strong, and curable,easily manipulated, and while particularly adapted for traveling bags,hand satchels, and the like, can be advantageously used for variousother purposes where a combination or keyless ook is desired.

I claim v 1. A lock of the class described, comprising a housing, aplurality of lockin bars arranged to slide therein, in which loc 'ngbars 'their normal positions,

are formed notches, means actuated from the exterior of the housing forshifting the sliding locking bars, and adjustable means for limitng theoutward movement oi the locking ars.

2. A lock ofthe class described, comprising I a housing, a plurality oflocking bars arl ranged to slide therein, in which locking bars areformed notches, means actuated from the exterior of the housing forshifting the sliding locking bars, means whereby said, locking bars arereleased after having been shifted to bring the notches into alinement,and adjustable meansl for limiting the outward movement of the lockingbars.

3. A lock of the class described, comprising' a housing, a pluralitjT oflocking bars arranged to slide therein, in which locking bars are formednotches, means actuated from the exterior of the housing for shiftingthe sliding locking bars, means whereby said locking l bars are releasedafter having been shifted to bring the notches into alinement, meanswhereby said locking bars are returned to and adjustable means forlimiting the outward movement of the locking bars.

4. In a lock of the class described, a housing, a plurality of springactuated locking bars arranged to slide in the housing, in which lockingbars are formed notches, means arranged on the interior of the housingand actuated from the exterior thereof for shifting the sliding bars tobring the notches into alinement, means actuated from the exterior ofthe housin T for releasing the locking bars, and ad justablle means forlimiting the outward movement of the locking bars. j

5. In a lock of the class described, a housing, a plurality of springactuated locking barsarranged to slide in the housing, in which lockingbars are formed notches, means arranged on the interior of the housingand actuated from the exterior thereof for shifting the sliding bars tobring the notches into alinement, and adjustable means for limiting themovement of the locking bars in one direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this tWO subscribingwitnesses.

JOHN KRUSE.'

/Vitnesses:

M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE.

speciiication, in presence ofv

